New Ways to Decorate With The Color Terra Cotta

One color that we’re particularly excited about this season is terra cotta. And for good reason. Just ask MJ, one of Pottery Barn’s textile designers.”It’s the color of the earth, and it’s very grounding. It’s also one of the oldest decorating colors. The Greeks and Etruscans used it, and its history in home decorating goes back thousands of years,” MJ told us.Decorating with the color terra cotta may be have an ancient history, but the hue is just as vibrant today as it was thousands of years ago.

For the paisley pattern used in the Fresco Paisley Duvet Cover, shown here, MJ told us that they used two main inspirations for the pattern, and combined them to create something new.”We used an old antique Indian shawl for the original inspiration,” said MJ, “and then layered a very textural abstract painting created by one of our designers over the shawl to create a unique digital image. From that, we came up with the pattern for the textile.”

Besides the color’s grounding effect, terra cotta is also a great layering color. Think of it as a neutral, much as you would white or black. Terra cotta layers beautifully with a variety of colors, including creams, whites, reds and yellows. Look through the slideshow for more decorating inspiration.